Silver City, NM, August 10, 2020--For Immediate Release. The Silver City Ranger District, Gila National Forest has installed two roll-over cattleguards at Fort Bayard near the Badlands Corral. If you are a mountain bike enthusiast, you can probably get excited!

When you are riding your bike and have to pass through the gate systems that exist on many National Forest System lands, it usually means get off your bike - set it aside - go open a gate - maneuver your bike through it - set your bike aside - close the gate and then finally resume your adventure. This roll-over cattleguard system will eliminate the need for constantly getting off your bike and dealing with gates. It will also help livestock remain where they belong since recreational visitors will not be leaving gates open in this specific area.  At the Badland Corrals, there were three gates, and two have been replaced with these new cattleguards.

Silver City District Ranger Beth Ihle credits Forest Service employees Naomi Gomez and Brian Martinez for the research, purchase and spearheading the installation of these gates. Also, a huge thank you goes out to Rob Bauer of Bauer Built Trails for coming to the Gila and showing our employees the correct way to install the roll-over cattleguards.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila.